Printing-surface.



NITD TA'IYES ATENT Fr es.

CLAUDE A. O. ROSELL, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE AMERICAN LITHOGRAPHIO COMPANY, OF NEW YORK.

PRINTING-SURFACE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 637,552, dated November 21, 1899.

Application filed November 4, 1898. b'erial No. 695,493. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it may concern: der and also dissolving the copper away un- Be it known that I, CLAUDE A. O. ROSELL, evenly,whereby the surface soon becomes una citizen of the United States, residing in the even, a feature which interferes with and precity, county, and State of New York, have invents the uniform taking of ink and water 5 vented certain new and useful Improvements from the ink and water rollers, respectively,

in Printing-Surfaces, of which the following and the uniform printing of the same. Moreis a specification. over, any notable diminution in the diameter Theinvention relates to planographicprintof the printing-cylinder would interfere with ing, and has especial reference to the charand prevent the proper cooperation of that IO acter or construction of the printing form or cylinder with the other parts of the printingdevice to be used in such planographic printpress, and register would be gradually intering; and it consists of the improved printing fered with and finally rendered impossible to form or device herein shown and claimed. attain without the reconstruction of the en- The invention has especial applicability tire press. These difficulties are overcome in I 5 and usefulness in connection with rounded or the following manner:

cylindrical printing-forms, and will be more In the preferred form of myinvention I preespecially described in that connection. More pare a copper cylinder, which may be a holparticularly it has in view the repeated prepalow shell adapted to be seated upon an interation of a given planographic-prin ting form rior and supporting mandrel or device and to 20 or device with a new fresh printing-surface be removed therefrom and adjusted thereeach time and without undulation or unevenupon when necessary, or it may be a solid copness, and this repeated production of fresh per cylinder. It is finished on its outer surprinting-surfaces, while accurately maintainface with great accuracy and care with respect ing the special form and size and diameter, to uniformity of surface, exactness of dimen- 25 &c., of the printing-form after each operation sions, &c., all with reference to the exact of imparting transfers, printing, and removshape and size of printing-form desired for ing the transfers in making the printing-form the press. I then electrolytically plate this ready for a new printing operation. copper cylinder with platinum or gold, im-

Inplanographic cylinder-printingtwomethparting a sufficient thickness of coating to 3o ods have been used or suggested. In one a protect the underlying copper from the nitric thin flexible sheet of aluminium or zinc is acid or caustic soda or other acid or alkaline bent around a cylinder and is fastened there reagent to be subsequently used, as hereinin place by suitable mechanical means, and after explained. A thickness of from one to the printing is effected from such sheet so three ounces to the square foot will be sufli- 3 5 cylindrically held and supported. In the cient for this purpose. To increase the reother zinc is electrolytically deposited upon sisting power of this protective coating, it a cylinder of copper, and the printing is efshould preferably be burnished. Upon this fected from the zinc surface thus deposited. protective coating a zinc printing-surface is In the former case the mechanical incidents electrolytically deposited in such way as, 0 40 and difficulties accompanying the application while causing such zinc surface to be an inteand holding of the flexible sheets, as well as gral part of the composite form, shall at the the expense incidental to preparing the face same time render it sufficiently porous and of of those sheets for printing purposes, as by the necessary surface character to adapt it to sand-blasting, have constituted obstacles of act asalithographic or planographic printing 5 45 moment. In the latter case after an edition surface. After the use of the surface for has been printed the effort has been made to printing purposes and the removal of the ink remove the zinc printing-surface by means of of the transfer in the usual way,as with turnitric acid; but the nitric acid in this operapentine, &c., the entire zinc coating is retion has the disadvantage of removing also a moved by means of strong nitric acid or other I00 50 notable amount of copper, thereby gradually suitable acid or alkaline reagent, such as diminishing the diameter of the copper cylincaustic soda or hydrochloric acid or sulfuric acid. The platinum or gold protective surface will be exposed by this removal, but without being in any way affected or modified or itself removed, and will immediately be ready to receive a second deposit of zinc for a second printing operation or edition. Thus the printing form or surface consists of an outer coating or face of electrolytically-deposited zinc and suitable for planographie printing, but adapted to be wholly removed by a suitable acid or alkaline reagent after the printing is finished, and a base of suitable material integral with the outer printing coating or surface, the base having a protective coating or face underlying the printing-surface and of metal resisting the action of the reagent employed in removing the printingsurface. In this way and by the application of an even printing-surface of uniform and predetermined thickness the resulting printing form or device is as a whole always and permanently of the same exact shape and size, fitting it to cooperate permanently with the other parts of the printing-press. Moreover, as all the wear of the printing operation is on the outer coating or face, which is wholly removed and a new fresh surface applied for each new printing job, a printing-cylinder prepared as above described is praeticallyindestructible, so that its permanence more than counterbalances its initial cost.

Although specifically described with reference to cylinder-printing, where the invention has peculiar usefulness and advantages, and especially in connection with multicolor cylinder printing, it nevertheless applies equally well to printing from flat or curved surfaces of any shape.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A lithographic-printing form composed of a metallic base, a protective coating thereon of a different metal, the base with said protective coating being as a whole, of non-varying shape and dimensions, thus permanently adapting the printing-form as a whole to the cooperating parts of the press, and of an outer planographie-printing surface of electrolytically-deposited zine, said surface having a design upon it suitably developed, and being thereby adapted to print lithographically, the said surface being also adapted to be thereafter wholly removed by a suitable reagent not acting on the protective coating, the base, the protective coating and the printing-surface being all integrally united together substantially as described.

2. A lithographic-printing form composed of a metallic base, a burnished protective coating thereon of a different metal, the base with said protective coating being as a whole of non-varying shape and dimensions, thus permanently adapting the printing-form as a whole to the cooperating parts of the press, and of an outer planographic-printing surface of electrolytically-deposited zinc, said surface having a design upon it suitably developed, and being thereby adapted to print lithographically, the said surface being also adapted to be thereafterwholly removed bya suitable reagent not acting on the protective coating, the base, the protective coating and the printing-surface being all integrally united together substantially as described.

3. A lithographic-printing form composed of a metallic base, a protective coating thereon of a different metal, and resisting the action of nitric acid, the base with said protective coating being as a whole, of non-varying shape and dimensions, thus permanently adapting the printing-form as a whole to the cooperating parts of the press, and of an outer planographicprinting surface of electrolyticallydeposited zinc, said surface having a design upon it suitably developed, and being therebyadapted to print lithographically, the said surface being also adapted to be thereafter wholly removed by strong nitric acid,the base, the protective coating and the printing-surface being all integrally united together substantially as described.

4. A cylindrical lithographic-printing form composed of a metallic base, a protective coating thereon of a different metal, the base with said protective coating being as a whole of non-varying shape and dimensions, thus permanently adapting the printing-form as a whole to the cooperating parts of the press, and of an outer planographic-printing surface of electrolytieally-deposited zinc, said surface having a design upon it suitably developed, and being thereby adapted to print lithographically, the said surface being also adapted to be thereafter wholly removed bya suitable acid or alkaline reagent not acting on the protective coating, the base, the protective coating and the printing-surface being all integrally united together substantially as described.

5. A cylindrical lithographie-printing form composed of a metallic base, a burnished protective coating thereon of a different metal, the base with said protective coating being as a whole of non-varying shape and dimensions, thus permanentlyadapting the printing-form as a whole to the cooperating parts of the press, and of an outer planographic-printing surface of electrolytically-deposited zinc, said surface having a design upon it suitably developed, and being thereby adapted to print lithographically, the said surface being also adapted to be thereafter wholly removed by a suitable reagent not acting on the protect ive coating, the base, the protective coating and the printing-surface being all integrally united together substantially as described.

6. A lithographic-printing form composed of a metallic base, a protective coating thereon of platinum, the base with said protective coating being as a whole of non-varying shape and dimensions, thus permanently adapting the printing-form as a whole to the cooperating parts of the press, and of an outer planographic-printing surface of electrolyticallydeposited zinc, said surface having a design upon it suitably developed, and being thereby adapted to print lithographically, the said surface being also adapted to be thereafter Wholly removed by a suitable reagent not acting on the protective coating, the base, the protective coating and the printing-surface being all integrally united together substantially as described.

7. A lithographic-printing form composed of a metallic base of copper, a protective coat ing thereon of a different metal, the base with said protective coating being as a whole of non-varying shape and dimensions, thus permanently adapting the printing-form as a Whole to the cooperating parts of the press, and of an outer planographic-printing surface of electrolyticallydeposited zinc, said surface having a design upon it suitably developed, and being thereby adapted to print lithographically, the said surface being also adapted to be thereafter wholly removed by a suitable reagent not acting on the protective coating, the base, the protective coating and the printing-surface being all integrally united together substantially as described.

8. A lithographic-printing form composed of a metallic base of copper, a protective coating thereon of platinum, the base with said protective coating being as a whole of nonvarying shape and dimensions, thus permanently adapting the printing-form as a whole to the cooperating parts of the press, and of an outer planographic-printing surface of electrolytically-deposited zinc, said surface having a design upon it suitably developed, and being thereby adapted to print lithographically, the said surface being also adapted to be thereafter Wholly removed byasuitable reagent not acting on the protective coating, the base, the protective coating and the printing-surface being all integrally united together substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CLAUDE A. O. ROSELL.

Witnessesi EDWIN SEGER, SIDNEY MANN. 

